Cheque Mate: Pakistan Govt's PKR 2.5 Million Cheques for World Cup Winners Bounce, watch this viral video

New Delhi (The Uttam Hindu): Amidst the Indian team's impressive victory in the 2025 Asia Cup and the hefty prize money announced by the BCCI, an old and embarrassing incident from Pakistani cricket has resurfaced. An old video clip of former Pakistani spinner Saeed Ajmal is going viral online, in which he reveals that the prize checks given to the entire team by the then-Pakistani government after winning the 2009 T20 World Cup bounced.

This incident dates back to 2009, when Pakistan won the T20 World Cup in England under the captaincy of Younis Khan. Saeed Ajmal played a key role in the team's victory by taking 12 wickets in that tournament. The viral video clip is from a podcast from last year, in which Ajmal recounted this incident.

In the video, Saeed Ajmal explains, "When we won the 2009 World Cup, the then Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani invited us and gave us cheques of 2.5 million rupees (Pakistani rupees) each. 2.5 million rupees was a huge amount in 2009, and all of us players were very happy."

He further shared the bitter experience, saying, "We received the check, but when we deposited it in the bank, it bounced. We were told that the chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) would give us the money, but the chairman flatly refused, saying, 'When the check is from the government, where can I get the money?'" Ajmal explained that soon after, the team went on a tour of Sri Lanka and never received the prize money announced by the government. The players had to settle for the prize money they received from the ICC.

The video has gone viral at a time when cricketers in India are being showered with money by the BCCI, sparking a fresh debate over the respect and facilities given to players by the cricket boards and governments in both countries.